The Battle of the MCU Chris’ — Chris Hemsworth: “The Beacon Of Light”

In the battle of the Chrises, I’m throwing my hat in for Chris Hemsworth. Chris Hemsworth has truly brought Thor to life in the MCU for me. On top of that, Hemsworth is an all-around fantastic actor. However, it’s possible that Chris Hemsworth stands out mostly because he feels so down to earth. Despite all of his skill, the fame that comes with portraying one of the Avengers, and his (frankly ridiculous) washboard abs, he’s a humble, cool guy.

Acting and Breakout Roles

While a lot of people talk about Chris Hemsworth being a relative nobody before landing his role as Thor, he did already have an acting career. In Australia, he was notable enough for his work on multiple soap operas that he was on Dancing With the Stars Australia. That’s right — he can dance too. Seems kind of unfair, doesn’t it?

Okay, so he looked kind of awkward back then — but in a cute way!

Even Stateside, however, Thor wasn’t the first movie that made Chris Hemsworth into the big name he is now. In 2009, Hemsworth showed up as Captain Kirk’s father, George Kirk in J.J. Abram’s Star Trek. He immediately caught the eye of multiple people—by 2010, multiple people had picked him out as someone perfect for Hollywood’s current climate.

Hollywood ended up being right. Chris Hemsworth auditioned for the role of Thor alongside Tom Hiddleston, and (while it’s fun to imagine how different things would be if Marvel had cast Tom) the rest is history.

Range

Hemsworth is a fantastic actor. Outside of the MCU, he’s starred in movies from THE CABIN IN THE WOODS to GHOSTBUSTERS. He shows an amazing flexibility in the kinds of roles he’s able to embody. Hemsworth’s depth of ability when it comes to drama, horror, and comedy definitely helps him in his Marvel role. He’s able to make jokes land and can make you cry in the theater, which is great.

Thor is a complex character — even with the predictable fandom reduction so that they can make memes. Thor is a loving, lighthearted character, but that doesn’t mean he’s just a dumb jock. The storyline we follow throughout the Thor movies is one of Thor accepting his responsibilities and growing as a person.

By THOR: RAGNAROK, we’re seeing a hero who is thoughtful, cares for his people, and accepts his responsibility…without losing his sense of humor and boundless energy.

We have a little kid to thank for the “he’s a friend from work” line, but we have Chris Hemsworth to thank for bringing the energy to the gladiator scene.

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Hemsworth playing Thor at this point, honestly. I think a lot of that has to do with how well he embodies the role. Hemsworth doesn’t pull any punches in delivering Thor’s emotions, which makes it feel right. Thor is an honest, upfront character who is always presenting us powerful emotions. Hemsworth is the kind of actor that can deliver on that — be it jokes, excitement, and glee, or grief and rage.

Off-Screen

The battle for best Chris can’t rely solely on the MCU—although let’s be real, if it did, Hemsworth would still be winning. Hemsworth is great because of how he is on and off screen. Hemsworth seems incredibly down-to-earth for someone who’s involved in one of the biggest film franchises ever. On top of that, he just seems like a fun guy.

In fact, one of the first thing that seems to come to mind when you ask people their favorite thing about Hemsworth is that he’s “fun.” There are comparisons of him to puppies and golden retrievers abound—and in general, everyone thinks he seems like someone who’d be cool to hang out with. The fact that he’s stayed relatively humble about his fame also helps him feel approachable.

Chris Hemsworth doesn’t feel fake, and he doesn’t feel “too important” for “regular” people. Even when he’s posting pics of him hanging out with other celebrities—notably Matt Damon, who he’s bros with—it feels genuine. He doesn’t feel as if he’s obsessed with appearances because he doesn’t need to be. Hemsworth comes off as a genuinely enjoyable, good dude. With Hollywood’s usual track record on actors turning out to be jerks, it’s incredibly refreshing.

An Adorable Family

So — Chris Hemsworth is very much spoken for. As fun as he seems, and as cool as it would be to hang out with him, the chance to get swept up in a whirlwind romance with Hemsworth has passed. Chris Hemsworth is not only happily married to the model, actress, and producer Elsa Pataky, they have three adorable children.

Honestly, Chris Hemsworth kind of seems like he just walked right out of the happy ending of a Harlequin romance. He’s gorgeous and married to an equally gorgeous and smart woman (seriously, she knows six languages), they have three kids, and he seems like the sweetest dad on the face of the planet.

Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky with their daughter India Rose and their twin boys Sasha and Tristan.

Hemsworth has talked at length about how being a dad is incredibly meaningful to him. He says he’s happiest when he’s with his children, and it shows. Plus there are all the adorable family pictures and Instagram posts of him getting his kids to watch the Thor movies. Even when things don’t go quite right (like his daredevil son breaking his leg) it’s clear how much Hemsworth adores his children.

It’s fantastic — if not outright inspiring — to see such a healthy, happy family having fun together all the time.

Also, He’s Hot

Don’t worry — I didn’t forget. Another reason Chris Hemsworth is the best is that he’s absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. For all the comparisons to excited puppies and talk about how cute he is when he’s running around as an excitable Asgardian god…it doesn’t reduce the hotness factor. In fact, it might increase it. The fact that this dude who could probably bench press me without a thought can be goofy and excited has its own appeal, after all.

Hemsworth definitely has the action hero physique. On top of that, he’s got great cheekbones (only accentuated by his charming scruff) and piercing blue eyes. There’s a reason he brings romance novels to mind — washboard abs, big baby blues, tousled blonde hair. He looks like he could be printed on the cover of any book about a sexy cowboy…or fireman…or mechanic.

Seriously though — he’s really, really nice to look at.

With the filming of THOR: RAGNAROK, we found out that Hemsworth didn’t think a shirtless scene was “needed”—whether because he underestimates how much people love seeing him shirtless or because he didn’t want to do any hardcore dieting is debatable.

Taika Waititi poked some fun at him for it, saying that a shirtless scene would put “bums in seats” for the film. While it’s essentially a sure thing that the film would’ve made tons of money even without shirtless scenes, seeing Hemsworth half-naked certainly never hurts.

Chris Hemsworth for Best Chris

While the other Chrises are great and all, Chris Hemsworth feels more like a real person to me. Not in the sense that Evans or Pratt are “fake”—but Evans seems like some unobtainable ideal (I mean, come on, he’s Captain America) and Pratt seems hard to pin down outside of his comedy persona.

Hemsworth isn’t just a great actor who’s done a ton for the role of Thor. He’s a kind, loving man who genuinely carries the happiness and excitement of Thor through into his own life.

Chris Hemsworth is a beacon of light. That may sound overdramatic, or like I’m hyping him up too much, but I really do believe it. I think being able to see an actor with such excitement and love for life, for his family, and for his career is fantastic. Chris Hemsworth is a good example of the kind of person people want to be or want to be around.

Hemsworth has done a ton of good for the MCU by taking on the role of Thor, and he’s done a lot for Hollywood just by being himself. He’s not just a pretty face (although he does have a very, very pretty face, also) but someone who’s beautiful on the inside as well, and it shows in everything he does.